Wednesday, April 12, 2006

STRONGER LEGISLATION FOR NEW YORK'S UNKEMPT NEWSRACKS IS GAINING MOMENTUM

LANDMARK WEST! volunteer, Howard Stevens, CIVITAS, the Municipal Art Society and others are crafting legislation for City Council to address the growing problem of the numerous, ill-maintained news and advertising racks that litter most of our city sidewalks. Through Howard's advocacy, Community Board 7 passed a strong resolution (see below) at their April 4 meeting supporting more effective regulation. Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco are among the many cities that are already successfully reining in this problem. Now is the time for New York to assert itself as a world-class city with a world-class quality of life. As the current law (passed in 2002 and amended in 2004) is proving inadequate against the unsightly and dangerous conditions created by the newsracks, more effective legislation is needed.GET INVOLVED!

Councilmember Gale Brewer has agreed to sponsor legislation on newsracks.Show your support by filling out and mailing or faxing the attached letter to Brewer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Transportation Committee Chairperson John Liu and your district councilmember (see below for all contact information). You can also copy the text into an email. Be sure to include your own mailing address in the body of the email.

Whereas the proliferation of newsracks has created cluttered, dangerous, unsanitary and unsightly conditions on the streets of New York City; and

Whereas, the owners of the various publications distributed by the newsracks have largely failed to maintain their newsracks according to applicable regulations; and

Whereas, the Department of Transportation has not effectively enforced newsrack regulations because of deficiencies in the current law and lack of personnel; and

Whereas, use of the 311 system for complaints about unlawfully placed or improperly maintained newsracks has not been produced meaningful results; and

Whereas, other cities have enacted legislation limiting the number of newsracks on each corner, mandating size, appearance, maintenance and other requirements and have imposed fair licensing fees to fund enforcement activities;

Community Board No. 7, Manhattan, requests that:

1. The City Council study newsrack legislation in other municipalities and enact a newsrack law which will curb the current abuses and unsafe conditions on our sidewalks.